P ROGRAMME DU P LATEAU LATEAU C ONTINENTAL ONTINENTAL P OLAR C ONTINENTAL S HELF P ROGRAM SCI E NCE P OLAIRE REPORT Logistical support for leading-edge Rapport Scientifique scientific research in the Canadian Arctic 2008 2009 2008-2009 2009 2008 2008-2009 dans l’Arctique canadien l’Arctique dans pointe de scientifique Soutien logistique à la recherche recherche la à logistique Soutien CIENTIFIQUE S Science Report T T R RAPPO ROGRAM P OLAIRE P ONTINENTAL C LATEAU P DU ROGRAMME P HELF S ONTINENTAL ONTINENTAL C OLAR P Polar Continental Shelf Program Science Report 2008/09: Logistical support for leading-edge scientific research in the Canadian Arctic Contact information Polar Continental Shelf Program Natural Resources Canada 615 Booth Street, Room 487 Ottawa ON K1A 0E9 Canada Tel.: 613-947-1650 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: pcsp.nrcan.gc.ca Cover photograph information A helicopter sits at a study site in the mountains of northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. (Credit: W. von Gosen) Cat. No. M78-1/1-2009 (Print) ISBN 978-1-100-51198-6 Cat. No. M78-1/1-2009E-PDF (On-line) ISBN 978-1-100-15115-1 © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010 Recycled paper Table of contents 2 Minister’s message 4 The Polar Continental Shelf Program 5 Spotlight on a PCSP employee: George Benoit 6 The PCSP Resolute facility expansion: Improving support for Arctic science 6 PCSP Open House 2009 7 PCSP’s work with research organizations in Canada’s North 7 International Polar Year 8 The scientific legacy of Roy Koerner 9 PCSP-supported projects in the news 12 PCSP-supported field camps in the Canadian Arctic (2008) – map 14 PCSP-supported projects in 2008 13 Ecological integrity 20 Sustainable communities and culture 23 Climate change 30 Northern resources and development 33 Planetary science 36 National parks and weather stations A Twin Otter beside a field camp at Alexandra Fiord,Ellesmere Island, Nunavut J. Lang, PCSP/NRCan ᒥᓂᔅᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑦ: ᐊᕐᕋᒍᐃᑦ 50 ᐅᖓᑖᓂᒃ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᖅᓱᑎᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᐅᓂᖓ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒦᑦᑐᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᖓᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓱᓕ ᓂᕆᐅᒋᔭᐅᕗᑦ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᓴᑦᑎᐊᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᔮᕐᓂᖅ ᑲᔪᓯᓂᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂ. ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒋᓕᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᖏᑦ, ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᓂᒃ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᖓᓃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓂᖅ ᐃᓚᖓᒍᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᖏᔪᒻᒪᕆᖕᒥᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖃᓕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᕕᖕᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑐᕐᒥᐅᓂ. ᐃᓂᖃᖅᓱᑎᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᓂᖅᐸᕆᔭᖓᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ, ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᕿᖓᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᐃᑦ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑐᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᕕᖓᑦ ᖃᐅᓱᐃᑦᑐᕐᒦᑦᑐᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᐊᖏᒡᓕᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᓂᐊᓕᕐᒪᑦ ᓄᑖᕈᕆᐊᖅᑕᐅᓗᓂᓗ ᑐᔪᕐᒥᕕᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᔭᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᕕᒃᓵᐃᑦ ᐊᖑᒪᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᒥᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑎᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᐅᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓᓂ. ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᕐᒪᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ. ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᓂᒃ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒦᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᖓᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᖕᒪᑕ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᐅᓂᓗ, ᐱᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᕝᕕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖃᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ. ᑐᓐᖓᕕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᓕᒫᒥ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒡᔪᐊᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᓄᑦ (UNCLOS−ᑯᑦ) ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᖑᐊᓕᐊᕆᔭᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᑦ ᐆᒻᒪᖁᑎᒃᓴᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᒐᒃᓴᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓚᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐊᓄᑦ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᓂᒃ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒦᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᖓᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᓱᓕ ᑲᔪᓯᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓗᑎᒃ ᓯᕗᒻᒧᐊᒃᑎᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᑦᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᓪᓗᒍ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᓂᒃ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒦᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᖓᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑐᕐᒥᐅᓂ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐊᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑦ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ. ᑲᒪᔨᐅᒐᑦᑕ ᐅᔾᔨᖅᑐᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᔪᓰ ᓐᓇᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᖃᑦᑐᐊᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᐊᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᓄᓇᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᖃᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ, ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓ ᐱᓐᖑᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᓅᖁᑎᒥᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᐊᔪᖏᓐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᔪᓰᓐᓇᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ. ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ, ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑯᕆᔅᑎᐊᓐ ᐸᐅᕆᑎ, P.C.−ᑯᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᐅᔪᖅ, ᒥᓂᔅᑕ ᓄᓇᒥᐅᑕᑐᖃᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ 2 P OLAR C ONTINENTAL S HELF P ROGRAM Science Report 2008/2009 Minister’s Message After over 50 years of dedicated support for Arctic science, the Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) is poised for even greater successes. At the beginning of this new decade, the excitement at the PCSP is in part due to a major infrastructure expansion in Canada’s High Arctic. Under Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the PCSP is benefiting from $11 million in funding over the next two years — part of the $85-million Arctic Research Infrastructure Fund. Strategically located in Canada’s second most northern community, the PCSP facility in Resolute, Nunavut, is expanding and upgrading its current living accommodations and adding modern lab facilities to support current and future needs of Arctic researchers and world-class science in the Canadian Arctic. Science has always been a driving force behind Canada’s involvement in the North. The PCSP is recognized nationally and internationally for its excellence in providing logistical support to researchers working in the Canadian Arctic. Building on the successes of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) programs included in this report, the PCSP will continue to play a key role in advancing the Government of Canada’s Northern Strategy. To this end, the PCSP Science Report is intended to keep Canadians informed of their government’s activities in the North. We have a responsibility to ensure a sustainable future for Canada’s Arctic and to expand our knowledge of this unique land so that the Canadian North will realize its full social and economic potential with a future that is secure and sustainable. Sincerely, The Honourable Christian Paradis, P.C., M.P. Minister of Natural Resources P OLAR C ONTINENTAL S HELF P ROGRAM Science Report 2008/2009 3 The Polar Continental Shelf Program The Canadian Arctic is important culturally, The PCSP supports more than 165 research projects each environmentally and economically to Canada and the year that involve more than 1100 scientists, students and world. It is a beautiful region in which thousands of field support technicians. Aircraft support is offered from people live and hundreds of scientists conduct important a number of key northern locations, but most projects field studies each year. With an ever-changing Arctic are staged from Resolute, Nunavut, where the PCSP’s environment and increased public and economic focus on main northern facility is located. This facility has a living the North, these studies are of vital importance to fields accommodations building with sleeping quarters for throughout the social and natural sciences. clients and the PCSP staff, dining and recreation areas, and The PCSP facility at Resolute on Cornwallis Island, Nunavut J. Lang, PCSP/NRCan The Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) is an laundry facilities. The working accommodations building organization that provides logistical support to researchers houses the facility’s office; storage areas for the PCSP and conducting field studies at locations throughout the client equipment; field equipment repair and maintenance Canadian Arctic. This region provides a challenging areas; and workspace for basic laboratory and computer environment in which to conduct research and also in which needs. A wireless high-speed internet connection, which to provide logistical services in support of Arctic science. was significantly upgraded in 2009, is now available to the As a part of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the PCSP’s PCSP’s clients staying at the facility. Researchers typically main services include air and ground transportation to spend a short amount of time at the Resolute facility each and from remote field camps; accommodations and meals year, just before and after their time in field camps. at the PCSP’s Resolute facility and Environment Canada’s Eureka facility; equipment for loan through the PCSP’s Technical Field Support Services; fuel for camps, equipment and aircraft; and a communications network that links the PCSP with the science teams located in camps dispersed throughout the North. 4 P OLAR C ONTINENTAL S HELF P ROGRAM Science Report 2008/2009 Spotlight on a PCSP employee: were labelled by number for set-up by different groups George Benoit planning to conduct research on the ice island, they George Benoit is currently the PCSP’s longest-standing became disordered during the transport process from employee of legendary stature within the research southern Canada. Due to these developments, George flew logistics community, having started as a cook’s assistant to Eureka, Nunavut, to reorganize the pieces and ensure at the Resolute facility in February 1975. Over the past that they were flown in order to the ice island. He has also 35 operational seasons, George has held positions assisted at numerous field camps on land, including one on including Stores Helper, Labourer and Warehouse the Agassiz Ice Cap, where he oversaw the transport of ice Manager, and he is now Stores Supervisor. George cores by air and then by ship to southern laboratories. The PCSP Resolute facility has field equipment for loan George Benoit at the PCSP Resolute facility J. Lang, PCSP/NRCan and equipment storage areas for researchers. J. Lang, PCSP/NRCan oversees equipment and fuel stores, loads and unloads Born and still living today on the island of Newfoundland, aircraft, and handles all types of inquiries from scientists. George had never visited the Arctic before his work He has never missed a season in Resolute and his wealth with the PCSP, but he has now visited most of the Arctic of experience makes him highly knowledgeable of aircraft Archipelago. He enjoys Resolute, but his favourite Arctic load limits, fuel needs for camps and the best types of spot is Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island. George has camp equipment to use. George says the key to helping worked with four PCSP Directors and 14 Base Managers researchers is to “put yourself into their boots and think and has seen many changes